London, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The AFP agency compiled the figures from the English Ministry of Defence. The number of people crossing has risen from 28,526 in 2021, already a record year, to 45,756.
More than 45,000 migrants illegally reached English shores in 2022 by crossing the Channel on makeshift boats, a record figure reached despite successive plans by British Conservative governments to combat this politically sensitive phenomenon.
DecemberAccording to AFP’s calculations based on figures from the Ministry of Defense, 45,756 migrants made the dangerous crossing of one of the busiest sea crossings in the world, with very cold water for much of the year. , against only 28,526 in 2021, yet already a record year.
While most arrivals take place in the summer, with a daily record of 1,295 migrants arriving in 24 hours on August 22, they now continue into the winter months with 1,745 arrivals in December.
A shipwreck in December
Last month was marked by the sinking of a dinghy carrying dozens of migrants from France in the early morning of December 14. Four of them died, Afghans and Senegalese according to the first elements of the investigation, a toll that could have been much heavier: 39 others were rescued by a nearby fishing boat.
On the night of November 23 to 24, 2021, 27 migrants aged between seven and 46 perished in the sinking of their inflatable boat.
Land locks push towards watercraft
The increasing lockdown of the port of Calais on the French side and of the Channel Tunnel has resulted in an explosion since 2018 in the number of Channel crossings in small boats.
The dossier is highly sensitive for the British Conservatives, who have been promising since Brexit to “take back control” of the borders, but despite the successive plans announced – two again this year – crossings continue to increase, completely overflowing the asylum system. the UK.
A controversial agreement with Rwanda
In particular, London concluded an agreement this year, criticized by the UN, the Anglican Church and many organizations, with Rwanda to send migrants who arrived illegally there, regardless of their origin, without waiting for the examination of their request. ‘asylum. The project was suspended before the summer by a decision of the European Court of Human Rights, but the government wants to relaunch it following a recent favorable decision by the British courts.
London has also signed cooperation agreements in recent months with France to strengthen controls there and with Albania, whose nationals have arrived in large numbers this year.